Microwave cooking appliance with articulating bottom

Abstract

A microwave cooking appliance allowing better access into the cooking cavity. The microwave cooking appliance may include a bottom articulating from the housing. The appliance may include an actuator. The appliance may include one or more linkage members connected to the actuator and bottom. The appliance may include a linkage track guiding the one or more linkage members and/or bottom between positions.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A microwave cooking appliance comprising:
 a housing having a cooking cavity, wherein the housing includes a front opening and a bottom opening; 
 a door, wherein the door is movable between a closed position closing the front opening to define a portion of the cooking cavity and an open position different from the closed position; 
 a bottom, wherein the bottom is movable between a closed position closing the bottom opening to define a portion of the cooking cavity and an open position different from the closed position, wherein the bottom moves from the closed position downwardly away from the bottom opening and outwardly in front of the front opening of the housing to the open position; 
 a plurality of linkage members coupling the bottom to an actuator, wherein the actuator articulates the plurality of linkage members from a stowed position to a deployed position, wherein when in the stowed position the bottom is in the closed position and when in the deployed position the bottom is in the open position; and 
 a linkage track guiding the articulation of the plurality of linkage members between the stowed position and the deployed position and the bottom between the closed position and the open position, wherein the linkage track includes a pin and slot engagement with the plurality of linkage members, wherein the pin and slot engagement includes a straight slot and an arcuate slot. 
 
     
     
       2. The microwave cooking appliance of  claim 1  further comprising one or more limit switches to verify the plurality of linkage members are in the stowed position and allows energization of the cooking cavity. 
     
     
       3. The microwave cooking appliance of  claim 1  wherein the housing includes a cavity and a fan, wherein the actuator, the linkage track, and the plurality of linkage members when in the stowed position is positioned within the cavity, and wherein the fan is in fluid communication with the bottom through the cavity. 
     
     
       4. The microwave cooking appliance of  claim 1  wherein the bottom travels separately in a longitudinal direction and an arcuate direction between the closed position and the open position. 
     
     
       5. The microwave cooking appliance of  claim 1  wherein the front opening is defined by an outer periphery, wherein the door seals against the outer periphery, and wherein the bottom includes a portion of the outer periphery, wherein the portion of the outer periphery travels with the bottom between the closed position and the open position. 
     
     
       6. A microwave cooking appliance comprising:
 a housing having a bottom opening and a front opening, wherein the front opening is adjacent a front side of the housing; 
 a door positionable between a closed position and an open position relative to the front opening; 
 a bottom positionable between a closed position and an open position relative to the bottom opening; 
 an actuator; 
 a plurality of linkage members coupling the actuator to the bottom, wherein the actuator articulates the plurality of linkage members from a stowed position to a deployed position, wherein when in the stowed position the bottom is in the closed position and when in the deployed position the bottom is in the open position; 
 a linkage track guiding the plurality of linkage members between the stowed position and the deployed position to position the bottom from the closed position down and towards the front side of the housing to the open position; and 
 wherein the linkage track includes a first slot and a second slot, wherein the first slot is substantially linear and the second slot includes an arcuate portion. 
 
     
     
       7. The microwave cooking appliance of  claim 6  wherein the plurality of linkage members includes a first linkage member having an upper end and a lower end, wherein the upper end includes a first pin slideably and rotatably engaging the first slot and a second pin slideably and rotatably engaging the second slot, and wherein the lower end includes a third pin rotatably engaging the bottom. 
     
     
       8. The microwave cooking appliance of  claim 7  wherein the first linkage member includes an arcuate shape from the upper end towards the lower end, wherein the first linkage is concave adjacent the front side of the housing. 
     
     
       9. The microwave cooking appliance of  claim 7  wherein the first linkage member pivots about the first pin when the first pin engages a lower end of the first slot and the second pin slides in the arcuate portion of the second slot. 
     
     
       10. The microwave cooking appliance of  claim 6  wherein the first slot is more proximal to the front side than the second slot, and wherein the arcuate portion of the second slot extends below a lower end of the first slot. 
     
     
       11. The microwave cooking appliance of  claim 6  wherein the actuator is a track actuator having a pivoting end attached to the housing and an attachment end pivotably attached to a linkage member of the plurality of linkage members, wherein the attachment end linearly moves relative to the pivoting end when the plurality of linkage members articulate between the stowed position and the deployed position. 
     
     
       12. The microwave cooking appliance of  claim 6  wherein when the door is in the closed position the door overlaps a front edge of the bottom when the bottom is in the closed position. 
     
     
       13. A microwave cooking appliance comprising:
 a housing having a bottom opening and a front opening, wherein the front opening is adjacent a front side of the housing; 
 a door positionable between a closed position and an open position relative to the front opening; 
 a bottom positionable between a closed position and an open position relative to the bottom opening; 
 a first seal positioned between the bottom and the housing when the bottom is in the closed position; and 
 a second seal positioned between the door and the bottom when the bottom is in the closed position and the door is in the closed position. 
 
     
     
       14. The microwave cooking appliance of  claim 13  wherein the first seal is a gasket sealing a portion of a periphery of the bottom and the second seal is a choke groove of the door sealing a remaining portion of the periphery of the bottom. 
     
     
       15. The microwave cooking appliance of  claim 13  wherein the front opening is defined by an outer periphery, wherein the second seal seals against the outer periphery, and wherein the bottom includes a portion of the outer periphery, wherein the portion of the outer periphery travels with the bottom between the closed position and the open position. 
     
     
       16. The microwave cooking appliance of  claim 13  wherein at least a portion of the first seal remains with the housing when the bottom travels between the closed position and the open position. 
     
     
       17. The microwave cooking appliance of  claim 13  wherein the second seal travels with the door between the closed position and the open position. 
     
     
       18. A microwave cooking appliance comprising:
 a housing having a cooking cavity, wherein the housing includes a front opening and a bottom opening; 
 a door, wherein the door is movable between a closed position closing the front opening to define a portion of the cooking cavity and an open position different from the closed position; 
 a bottom, wherein the bottom is movable between a closed position closing the bottom opening to define a portion of the cooking cavity and an open position different from the closed position, wherein the bottom moves from the closed position downwardly away from the bottom opening and outwardly in front of the front opening of the housing to the open position; and 
 wherein the front opening is defined by an outer periphery, wherein the door seals against the outer periphery, and wherein the bottom includes a portion of the outer periphery, wherein the portion of the outer periphery travels with the bottom between the closed position and the open position. 
 
     
     
       19. The microwave cooking appliance of  claim 18  further comprising a plurality of linkage members coupling the bottom to an actuator, wherein the actuator articulates the plurality of linkage members from a stowed position to a deployed position, wherein when in the stowed position the bottom is in the closed position and when in the deployed position the bottom is in the open position. 
     
     
       20. The microwave cooking appliance of  claim 18  wherein the bottom travels separately in a longitudinal direction and an arcuate direction between the closed position and the open position. 
     
     
       21. A microwave cooking appliance comprising:
 a housing having a bottom opening and a front opening, wherein the front opening is adjacent a front side of the housing; 
 a door positionable between a closed position and an open position relative to the front opening; 
 a bottom positionable between a closed position and an open position relative to the bottom opening; 
 an actuator; 
 a plurality of linkage members coupling the actuator to the bottom, wherein the actuator articulates the plurality of linkage members from a stowed position to a deployed position, wherein when in the stowed position the bottom is in the closed position and when in the deployed position the bottom is in the open position; 
 a linkage track guiding the plurality of linkage members between the stowed position and the deployed position to position the bottom from the closed position down and towards the front side of the housing to the open position; and 
 wherein the actuator is a track actuator having a pivoting end attached to the housing and an attachment end pivotably attached to a linkage member of the plurality of linkage members, wherein the attachment end linearly moves relative to the pivoting end when the plurality of linkage members articulate between the stowed position and the deployed position.